SEARS RECEIVES EASTER SEAL AWARD

Sears Roebuck and Co. has received a National Easter Seal Society award for leadership in hiring people with disabilities, making its stores and workplaces handicapped accessible and accommodating customers with disabilities.

The Equality-Dignity-Independence (EDI) award traditionally recognizes print and electronic journalists and others, but was presented for the first time this year to corporations.

Two other corporations Lane Transit District of Eugene, Ore., and U.S. Bancorp were also honored.

Sears, which has a store at 2102 William here, was a founding member in 1947 of the committee now known as The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. Sears is an example of how a major corporation can develop programs and policies for advancing the independence of people with disabilities.

In 1954 Sears developed its first manual on employing people with disabilities. It then initiated an aggressive campaign to integrate people with disabilities into available positions.

Essential job functions are defined and accommodations for equal opportunity and early return-to-work purposes are utilized.

Promotion is by merit. In 1965 Sears offered one of the nation's first catalogs for health-care products designed to service customers with disabilities.

"Twenty years ago Sears initiated a special program for retail stores to focus on customers with disabilities," said Jack Krings, district general manager in Cape Girardeau. "Since that time all new Sears facilities have incorporated barrier-free designs, including a new Merchandise Group home office complex."